Some politicians spend their campaigns kissing babies. But as Hanrahan rallies support for her re-election as mayor, she'll be getting ready for another one of her own. Hanrahan and her husband, engineer Tony Malone, are expecting a baby boy in March, within weeks of the election to determine whether she stays on for another three years as the city's mayor. "That was Tony's idea," Hanrahan joked. "He thought it would be a good plan." The couple's first child, Evyleen, was born in September 2005 and is already walking and talking, Hanrahan said. "She's the world's biggest book reader and the world's biggest dog fan," Hanrahan said. "We just know that her first sentence is going to be, 'Can I have a dog?' I don't know if she's going to ask if she can have a brother." Being nine months pregnant might not be an ideal situation for campaigning, but Hanrahan said she plans to work up until the day of the delivery, as she did when Evyleen was born last year. The mayor, who is running uncontested, pointed out that several prominent female politicians have given birth in office in recent years and said support from her husband and her assistant at City Hall would let her juggle the responsibilities of a mother, a candidate and a commissioner.
"Why do one thing when you can do three?" Hanrahan said.
It's difficult to compete with a rock star, but Alachua County Democrats gave it their best shot Thursday night.
The party held its annual Lawton Chiles Dinner at UF's Reitz Union, a few blocks from where Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were playing the O'Connell Center.
Hanrahan showed up for the predinner cocktail hour - she didn't drink for obvious reasons - then left for the concert.
Sheriff candidate Sadie Darnell, Petty's cousin, sent word that she couldn't make because she joined family at the gig.
Still, party Chairman Jon Reiskind was thankful for the sizable turnout.
"Tom Petty, eat your heart out," Reiskind said.
Ocala Star-Banner Assistant Features Editor Dave Schlenker contributed to this week's column.
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